Scientific Name : Hoffmannseggia repens
Author : (Eastw.) Cockerell
NatureServe Explorer
Common Name : Creeping Rush- pea
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Taxonomy
Fabaceae (pea family)
Listed in Ackerfield (2015, 2022) as Hoffmannseggia repens (Eastw.) Cockrell. Not included in Weber and Wittmann 1992, 1996 or 2012, however, the Plants Database and Welsh et al. 2015 report its presence in Colorado. Ackerfield (2015, 2022) state it is known from a single Colorado collection made near the Utah state line along I-70. The specimen is not currently included in SEINet (2026).
Ranks and Status
State Rank : S1
State Rank Reason : Hoffmannseggia repens is reported from a single location in Colorado (Ackerfield 2015, 2022); little else is known about this species in Colorado.
U.S. Endangered Species Act : none
Colorado Threatened and Endangered List : none
Other Statuses : none
Description and Phenology
General Description:
Subcaulescent or shortly candescent, 5-10 cm tall. Leaves are mostly basal, bipinnately compound, each pinna with 4-14 crowded leaflets; leaflets obovate-eliptic to shortly oblong, 4-9 mm long, weakly punctate; inflorescence of terminal, subcapitate racemes with numerous, crowded flowers; calyx lobes 6-8 mm long; flowers golden-yellow with a red-spotted banner; legumes ovate to oblong, flat, 2-5 cm x 13-17 mm, canescent to glabrate, reticulate (Ackerfield 2022).
Look Alikes:
Not likely to be confused with other taxa in this area.
Phenology:
Specific flowering/fruiting times in Colorado are not known.
Habitat
This species was found in sandy soil at the one known location in Colorado. Rangewide, the species occurs in deep red sands, sandy clay or rocky soils in sandy deserts with Artemisia filifolia. Ephedra torreyana, Yucca harrimaniae, Poliomintha incana, Tiquilia latior, Coleogyne ramosissima. Abronia elliptica, Oenothera pallida, and Oryzopsis hymenoides (Harris 1983).
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Elevation Range:
4,400 - 4,500 feet (1,341 - 1,372 meters)
Distribution
Colorado Endemic:
No
Range:
Hoffmannseggia repens is known from a single location in Colorado, USA. Ackerfield (2015, 2022) reports, "known from a single Colorado collection made near the Utah state line along 1-70, 4400-4500 ft." This species is also known from Utah, USA.
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Threats and Management Issues
This species is considered to be extremely vulnerable to climate change (Handwerk et al. 2015). Other threats specific to the Colorado location have not been documented.
References
- Ackerfield, J. 2015. Flora of Colorado. BRIT Press, Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 818 pp.
- Ackerfield, Jennifer. 2022. Flora of Colorado. Second Edition. Bot. Misc. 60. BRIT Press, Fort Worth Botanic Garden/Botanical Research Institute of Texas, U.S.A. 861 pp.
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). 2023. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System (Biotics 5). Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
- Handwerk, J., L. Grunau, and S. Panjabi. 2015. Colorado Wildlife Action Plan: 2015 Rare Plant Addendum. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
- Harris, J.G. 1983. A vascular flora of the San Rafael Swell, Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 43(1): 79-87. Online. Available: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol43/iss1/6/
- Neely, B., S. Panjabi, E. Lane, P. Lewis, C. Dawson, A. Kratz, B. Kurzel, T. Hogan, J. Handwerk, S. Krishnan, J. Neale, and N. Ripley. 2009. Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Strategy, Developed by the Colorado Rare Plant conservation Initiative. The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, Colorado, 117 pp.
- SEINet. 2026. Southwest Environmental Information Network; Regional Herbaria Network Collections Database. http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php?catid=2.
- Simpson, B.B. 1999. A revision of Hoffmannseggia (Fabaceae) in North America. Lundellia 2:14-54.
- Simpson, B.B., and E.A. Ulibarri. 2006. A Synopsis of the Genus Hoffmannseggia (Leguminosae). Lundellia 2006(9):7-33.
- Utah Native Plant Society. 2003-2022. Utah rare plant guide. A.J. Frates editor/coordinator. Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Native Plant Society. Online. Available: https://www.utahrareplants.org. (accessed 2022).
- Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. (Eds). 2015. A Utah flora, fifth edition, revised 2015. Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo, Utah. 987 pp.
